The Green New Deal Isn’t Just a Huge Deal for the U.S.

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Green New Deal (GND) excited some and left many others skeptical of its plausibility. The primary objectives of the GND include achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, transforming the economy to better serve historically oppressed and disadvantaged communities, and beginning work on a number of projects to modernize the infrastructure of the U.S. The GND’s goals include a boost to public investment in clean energy sources, the creation of millions of high paying jobs, and the restoration of natural ecosystems. It also has an overarching aim of meeting 100 percent of America’s energy demand with clean and renewable energy in just 10 years.

The far-reaching goals of the GND make it difficult to take the proposal as a serious piece of legislation. To many politicians and analysts, the plan seems to be nothing more than a jumble of left-wing policies presented under a shiny veneer of environmental reform. The costs of the various planks of the proposal have yet to be calculated, but the combined price tags for the nation guarantee free college, increases in infrastructure spending, and rapid implementation of green energy sources. The Green Party has estimated a cost of $13.4 trillion for the transition into providing 100 percent clean energy for the U.S. alone. An additional $400 billion would be allotted for public job programs. The Green Party proposes increasing taxes for the wealthy, cutting at least 50 percent of the military budget, and imposing a carbon tax to muster the sum needed to pay for the expensive implementation of the plan. None of these propositions are likely to be passed by the Senate, which is controlled by Republicans.

With the world’s largest economies shifting from using fossil fuels to using renewable energy, countries that export fossil fuels will lose much of their political importance. This is because energy access plays a huge role in the formation and maintenance of good relations while the world still centers on fossil fuels. The GND and other carbon reduction missions will make oil and natural gas obsolete, thus weakening nations that wield those resources as influences. Thus, in order to effectively reduce carbon emissions, the GND must acknowledge and address disparities regarding providing access to clean energy across the world. India has already begun addressing this by partnering with France to create the International Solar Alliance, which brings over 120 nations together to make solar energy infrastructure accessible to developing countries. This is a plan that encourages a transition to clean energy on a much larger scale than the GND, and it will likely produce a better net result because it bolsters the ability of other nations to address the issue of climate change as well. Incorporating this form of collaboration with other nations into the GND would drastically increase its impact.

However, as extensive as the faults of the GND are, Ocasio-Cortez’s plan is admirable for taking the initiative to push policies that address the appalling state of social inequality and the environment. With the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change claiming that the planet will be experiencing extreme natural conditions and crippling poverty in an estimated 12 years if carbon emissions remain consistent with projections, the U.S. must take immediate action to reduce carbon emissions—whether or not Congress gives support. The GND will make it the responsibility of the U.S., which is a technologically capable country and a large culprit in releasing greenhouse gases, to start reducing carbon emissions through economic reform. It addresses the critical connections between energy policy, infrastructure, and equity. This includes how disadvantaged groups living in polluted areas suffer from asthma and other health issues that they often cannot treat due to lack of health insurance. The GND is not only loud and compelling, but it also furthers vital discussions about climate change and equity.

Ultimately, the U.S. must take action in creating policies that decarbonize the economy as quickly as possible. The unlikelihood of meeting those ambitious aspirations is not an excuse to remain stagnant in climate policy. But the U.S. must also realize that this plan will have a global impact and that we cannot strive to create this utopia within the U.S. at the expense of the rest of the world. In order to maximize results, the GND must broaden to address climate change through a global lens so that all nations are able to participate in the effort. The GND is green in more ways than one, but its zeal—hopefully tempered by the pragmatic reality—is an attitude that is needed in the way we approach climate policy.